1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to energy replenishment systems for electric vehicles: specifically, to battery replacement and charging outside of the vehicles.
2. Description of Prior Art
Electric vehicles first appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century, but they could not compete with the emerging technology based on the use of the internal combustion engine. Their main disadvantage was the necessity to interrupt the service for recharging the batteries after a relatively short operation.
Energy is stored on electric vehicles in rechargeable batteries for their operation. The commercially available batteries have inadequate storage capacity for their weight. Therefore, the largest number of the prior art concerned with the reduction of the weight of the vehicles with the objective of increasing the range between two time-consuming recharging operations. This range still is not long enough to allow the use of an electric vehicle for longer trips. These vehicles are designed therefore for local traffic, until one of the promising new light-weight batteries will be commercially available for increasing the range.
All of the prior art considers batteries as fixed parts of the vehicle. The batteries are built in the vehicles according to this view, and their removal is no simple operation. No efforts can be demonstrated for standardizing battery dimensions and voltages to make interchangeability possible. No effort is detectable to provide batteries, compartments, and connectors designed for instant removability for outside recharging, and the installment of recharged batteries for providing unlimited operation. No battery service stations are available for the service of exchanging discharged batteries with freshly charged ones.